The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-07-21
CATCHING TURTLES.
How The Succulent Monsters
Are Captured.
Exciting Scenes in the Moon
light on the Gulf of Mexico.

A man who has spent some time
catching big turtles in the Gulf of Mex
leo said to New York Star reporter: 81
don't know how you catch turtles up
here, but down in the Gulf of Mexico
we have an exciting time of it. Turtle
hunting is great sport, but a good
many people object to it on account of
the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes9 Well, 1
should remark. A man can't hunt tur-
ties around the Gulf of Mexico unless he
is thoroughbred fighter of mosquitoes.
'Most of the green turtles we get
down our way come from around the
Chandelier Islands, about forty miles
from the Mississippi coast. These
islands make up a string over forty
miles long, and are covered by a chap
paral as dense as any in Mexico. Not a
tree grows upon them; only little sea-
weed. When the water is high the
waves wash up to the thicket, but at
low water fine strand, finer and larger
than the beach at Galveston, is re-
vealed.
'On some of these islands are num-
Der of fishermen's huts or tents, and the
southern end is occupied exclusively by
the red snapper and bluefish fishermen
from New Orleans and Mobile. Most Of
the red snappers and pompano furnished
to the east are captured by these fisher
men. Along in July all the she turtles
for miles around in the Gulf come up tt
the islands at night when the tide is low
and lay their eggs in the sand.
'But was going to tell you how We
catch turtles down there. It's the
easiest thing in the world. Along il
the night, when they come out of thu
gulf to lay their eggs or gambol on thu
sand or tiirt, you start out armed with ;
stout pole or young tree. When th'
turtle hears you coming he makes a star
for the sea, and you have to do some tai
hustling to get there. A turtle is {
sharp eyed and fine cared fish, and if h,
gets good start the chances are strong
against his being caught. AS rul'
theretare more than one hunter, as ont
would have great difficulty in managing
one of the big fellows When you ge
up to the turtle just shove your sapline
under him and turn him over on hi
back. A turtle is knocked completed,
out when he is lying on his back, and i
unable to do anything but paw the al
and kick. Some of them weigh so,
and 900 pounds, so you see one maj
couldn't very well handle such noun
tain. Even with two or three the hun
tiers have to possess considerable dcxteri
| ty in order to throw the monster. If tn
turtle kept still until you adjusted you
pole, and let you tug away at him, i
would be all right; but he keeps on TIL
run and makes quick and warm worl
for the hunt crs. An S00-pound turtl
can get over sand at an amazing rate
and when you take into consideration
the fact that this 800 pounds of soli
matter is going at an express train gait
you can readily perceive that it require
practiced hand to capture him.
GAS l said before, It's warm work
and it is made warmer by the way yo
have to dress. Down in that chappare
are billions and billions of mosquitoes
They are these giant, gray-backcd fel
lows with peaks on them like sharl
pointed darning needles. They come j
clouds and run their stingcrs throug
tanned rhinoccros hide. Ordinary cloth
ing is no protection against them. TIL
hunter has to take the very thicllcst car
vas, old sails Or something like that, am
coat it thickly with coal tar or coal oil
Mosquitoes don't like coal oil much, br
if they are hungry their appetite docsn
stand on ceremony or epicurcan taste.